In the Glass: Bodegas Mas Alta – Els Pics 2009

It’s easy to fall in to the trap of the familiar when it comes to your nightly meal wine. Drinking what you know you like is always the easy way out and we guiltily ascribe to it often. But, by chance we stopped in at Vila Viniteca in the Born neighborhood of Barcelona and picked up this bottle to give Priorat wine a new and long overdue taste.

At 13€ and 15% of alcohol it was pretty much what we expected it to be from a 13 year-old winery in the region. It’s a decent wine from Bodegas mas Alta, but it’s typical of what’s coming out of Priorat. While not a super pricey wine, it’s probably a bit much for what it is. The body is bold with oak and tannins. The nose is very hot and takes some time to burn off that rather hefty dose of alcohol that gives the impression of being a good deal higher than 15%.

Some of the oak elements balance out as it breathes, but it continues to hold a great deal of spiciness in a way that might very well appeal to some people who prefer their bottle to tell them what’s up. For us, it’s a difficult wine to pair with a meal, but at the same time not intricate enough to stand on its own or serve with a cheese and/or embotit plate.